Govt pushes execution of energy compact
DAR ES SALAAM: DEPUTY Prime Minister and Minister for Energy, Dr Doto Biteko has directed all public entities under the Ministry of Energy to align their plans with implementation of the National Energy Compact signed recently by President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan during the Africa Heads of State Energy Summit in Dar es Salaam.
Under the Compact, Tanzania aims to connect 8.3 million households to electricity by 2030, increase electricity connectivity from the current 46 to 75 per cent. Notably, the country also targets achieving 75 per cent access to clean cooking solutions within the same timeframe.
The ambitious move is part of the continent’s broader goal dubbed “Mission 300” seeking to connect electricity to 300 million Africans in the next five years.
Dr Biteko demanded the entities to translate the compact in their undertakings during the Third Performance Assessment Meeting for Public Entities under the Ministry of Energy held on Tuesday in Dodoma.
“All entities in their respective positions should strategise the implementation of the Energy Compact, as the funds pledged by development partners, such as the World Bank and the African Development Bank, are intended for the entire continent. This requires us to identify specific projects that need support,” he said.
Led by the World Bank and the African Development Bank (AfDB), global development partners during the summit in Dar es Salaam last month pledged nearly 50 billion US dollars (127tri/-) in support of the Mission 300. He said Tanzania is committed to emerging as the first country on full execution of the compact.
ALSO READ: Hidden insight from the Energy Summit
In another development, he directed the Rural Energy Agency (REA) to ensure that the distribution of clean cooking solutions runs concurrently with an evaluation of the number of people transitioning from woodbased biomass energy to ecofriendly cooking alternatives.
Regarding the assessment of the public entities, Dr Biteko led the ministry in awarding entities which have been showcasing outstanding performance.
The Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Authority (PURA) outshined other entities in terms of performance, followed by REA and the Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA) which held second and third positions respectively.
Dr Biteko also awarded Tanzania Electric Supply Company’s (TANESCO) regions which performed well in which Kilimanjaro was ranked first, followed by Kinondoni South and Kinondoni North in an ascending order.
Meanwhile, he expressed his dissatisfaction with the performance of TANESCO’s customer care centre saying it has been triggering citizens complains.
“TANESCO still lacks enough customer care apart from all good things which it has been doing,” he said. Adding “the day before yesterday I visited the centre, I told them that I’m not delighted with centre’s performance.”
Therefore, he urged the centre’s employees to ensure their customer care is in line with the government commitment to ensuring all citizens enjoy electricity services.
It is unacceptable for TANESCO’s customer care centre personnel to look down on their customers. Instead, they should actively contribute to solutions by providing accurate and timely information,” Dr Biteko stated.
He said the country has done a lot to attain excess electricity generation while building electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure in efforts of reaching all people.
For his part, Deputy Minister for Energy, Ms Judith Kapinga commended Dr Biteko for initiating the ministry’s public entities assessment meeting saying it has been boosting employees’ performance.
Ms Kapinga urged executives and all employees of the ministry and its entities to work in team and dedication with a goal of further transforming the country’s energy sector.
